The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said on Sunday that South Korea will have to pay a "dear price" for sending propaganda leaflets across the border the previous day.
NATO and Europe are crying hoarse about North Korean troops being deployed in Russia. According to the Pentagon, about 10,000 North Korean troops are ready to be deployed in the war zone, most of whom are undergoing training in Russia. This would imply strength of about one division.
Guided by Kim, North Korea carried out a "crucial" missile test that set milestones in "perpetuating the absolute superiority" of the country's armed forces, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Russia said on Monday it will continue its cooperation with North Korea but declined to comment on allegations that it plans to use North Korean soldiers in military operations against Ukraine.
The defence ministry's stance was echoed by the ruling People Power Party (PPP) on Sunday.
US President Donald Trump has boasted of his good relations with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un,
The latest launch by Pyongyang comes as a prolonged hiatus in disarmament talks with the United States drags on.
North Korea has not reported a single coronavirus case, but was widely suspected to be covering up an outbreak.
It comes as North Korea announced it would be holding a session of the Supreme People's Assembly, the country's parliament, on 10 April. Analysts say the meeting will involve almost 700 of the country's leaders in one spot.
For Japan’s longest-serving Prime Minister, this is the biggest test since returning to office in 2012. Shinzo Abe has been criticised for an initial lack of leadership and he abruptly took steps to close schools leaving parents and employers scrambling. It is rather unfortunate that instead of cooperating to tackle the new global menace, both the Asian nations, Japan and South Korea, continue to suffer from the shadow of history. Both nations have close economic ties and are also major US allies, with democracies and market economies faced with a rising China and nuclear-armed North Korea. It is clearly the wrong time to invoke the past to address the present.
